The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a holding apparatus for weapon barrels of a multi-barrel weapon.
In its more particular aspects, the present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a holding apparatus for weapon barrels of a multi-barrel weapon with components or elements for adjusting the positions of the weapon barrels relative to a central axis about which the weapon barrels rotate.
In a holding apparatus of this type, as known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,714 published Aug. 5, 1975, the distribution or scatter of the weapon barrels and the point of impact of the cartridges fired from the weapon barrels are controlled. This known holding apparatus is readily removably fastened at the front end of the weapon barrel, i.e. in the region of the weapon barrel muzzles, and comprises a perforated cylindrical clamping plate and a number of clamp straps with which the weapon barrels are secured in the desired position. The holding apparatus can be placed on the weapon barrel while all the bolts which are necessary for clamping are still loose and the clamp straps can subsequently be bolted up or tightened onto the clamping plate, whereby all the weapon barrels are locked in the desired position. Finally, a front plate is bolted to the cylindrical clamping plate.
Before discussing the disadvantages of this known holding apparatus, the construction of the multi-barrel weapon will be described so far as it is of interest in this connection. This type of multi-barrel weapon, e.g. a Gatling gun, possesses six weapon barrels which are arranged equidistantly to each other about a central axis of rotation. Originally all these six weapon barrels were arranged parallel to the axis of rotation and parallel to each other. However, it has been found that under certain circumstances it is necessary or advantageous to focus and twist or curve the weapon barrels. In other words the axes of the weapon barrels are not arranged on a cylindrical shell or surface but on a conical shell or surface, or even more preferably on a hyperboloid of one sheet. In order to achieve this the muzzles of the weapon barrels, on the one hand, are swiveled or deviated radially towards the central axis of rotation and, on the other hand, into tangential relationship with a circle whose middle or central point coincides with the central axis of rotation of the weapon. This focusing and twisting or curving of the weapon barrel makes possible an improvement of the target grouping. With this focusing it is achieved that all the weapon barrels are directed towards a single point, e.g. at a distance of 1-3 km. An equalization of the twisting or spinning effect is achieved with this twisting or curving of the weapon barrel, and this is necessary since the speed of rotation of the weapon barrel about the central axis can be very high and is also subject to fluctuations.
With the known holding apparatus the weapon barrels are, in fact, focused as well as twisted or curved but not independently of each other.